‘Paris Saint Germain wanted me in 2018’ says Sanches

Lille midfield playmaker Renato Sanches claims he almost moved to the club’s Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain in 2018.

The Portugal international joined Lille from Bayern Munich for a club-record €25million in August.

However, the 22-year-old revealed he would have been playing in France sooner had Bayern been prepared to sell him to PSG the previous year.

“It is true that I had a serious offer from PSG,” Sanches told Telefoot.

“But my club and my former coach Niko Kovac did not want let me go.”

Sanches, who signed a four-year contract with Lille, scored his first goal for the club in their 2-1 win over Montpellier in Ligue 1 last Friday.

First-team football was hard to come by for the 22-year-old after he arrived at Bayern from Benfica in July 2016. 

Die Roten saw off interest from Manchester United to land the Amadora-born star, but a little over a year after his arrival he had been shipped out on loan to Welsh side Swansea City.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in July when the Portguese’s transfer to the Ligue 1 side was confirmed: “Renato Sanches asked us for the transfer because he wanted to join a club where he plays regularly.

“Unfortunately, we could not guarantee him this at Bayern. Match practice is also important for him because he wants to keep his place in the Portuguese national team for EURO 2020.

“I would like to thank Renato for his achievements and wish him all the best for his future on behalf of FC Bayern.”

Despite becoming the first Portuguese player to win the Golden Boy award for best European player under the age of 21, Sanches struggled for form in Germany and failed to register a single goal or assist in his first season.

His season-long loan at Swansea and foray into the Premier League did little to inspire confidence in a player who had reportedly struggled to settle into the German way of life and master the language.